Zinc-Cobalt Bimetallic Organic Frameworks with Antioxidative and Osteogenic Activities for Periodontitis Treatment

Periodontitis is a prolonged inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection. Oxidative stress induced by inflammation leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and difficulties in bone tissue regeneration. ROS-scavenging agents regulate the periodontal tissue microenvironment, which is of great significance in the treatment of periodontitis. In this study, a zinc-cobalt bimetallic organic framework (Zn/Co-MOF) is constructed to alleviate local tissue inflammation and bone resorption in periodontitis by cascading antioxidant activity. In vitro experimental results show that the Zn/Co-MOF not only provides effective cellular protection against ROS attack in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1), but also promotes osteogenic differentiation. In vivo experiments in rat periodontitis models confirm that Zn/Co-MOFs can reduce local periodontal tissue inflammation, reduce osteoclasts, and promote the recovery of alveolar bone height defects, which is beneficial for the treatment of periodontitis. RNA sequencing results show that the Zn/Co-MOF promotes bone tissue regeneration mainly through activated Wnt pathways, which accelerate osteogenic differentiation. Overall, the Zn/Co-MOF exhibits antioxidant capacity and promotes bone regeneration, making it a promising strategy for the treatment of periodontitis.